Invest In Add-ons That Bring Your Rental To The Next Level

As an Airbnb host — if you want to make the most of your space — it’s important to think about your guest’s needs and try to accommodate them as much as possible (within reason, of course!) There may be some requests made by guests that you don’t want to touch with a 10 foot pole, while others (such as accommodating more guests, then you have beds) can be easily remedied… as a result you’re able to charge more.

Be thoughtful about what you include in your listing and even try different things. For example, offer free airport transfer and charge a bit more — how does that affect your listing views and booking rate?

Include free transport

If your new space is slightly removed from the center of town, think about including a scooter or a bicycle in the rental fee. I have also made a deal with a local taxi driver to transport my guests to and from the house, to the local beach for a discounted rate — I would then pay the driver after for the total number of trips; as a result I was able to bump my daily rate up and my listing now appeals to people who previously thought it as out of the way.

Include airport pickup

Free airport pickup is always a huge boost. People feel wonderful when they don’t need to worry about arranging transport from the airport to the house. Not all guests will use it. Also, a fun side note: we had a listing in Thailand that was a little difficult to find. We had one group of guests that spent an hour in a tuk tuk going all over town before they found us. This group had fun and enjoyed the ride, but after that, we started to use one taxi driver that knew exactly where our house was. He also had a great personality and spoke English well.

The added value of a TV

A television is an invaluable addition to your rental home. Virtually every hotel room now has a TV, and there’s a good reason for this. You should too. A good sized flat screen television can be purchased at reasonable cost and will be listed as an amenity in your Airbnb listing. It doesn’t matter if you don’t watch television, a lot of other people do, and it is also something that is expected in hotel rooms.

Personal touches are a nice addition to your space.

I am a huge fan of making the space feel comfortable and inviting. If you are just moving into a beautiful new space, it may feel sparse and unlived in. This will not feel comfortable for your guests. With a few knick knacks on the shelf and some throw pillows on the bed, you can make the space feel more inviting and unique.

Being able to accommodate larger groups is a huge asset!

There have been instances where we have had to turn away inquiries because they were larger than what we could accommodate. We just didn’t have enough beds in the house. Although extra floor space is great for air mattresses! You can keep them stored away and bring them out when needed. Also this is an opportunity to charge a small fee for each additional head (per night) over the maximum price you set. I recommend an air mattress like this one!